Yeasayer | Live at Ancienne Belgique

To top off the strongest year in their young existence as a band, Yeasayer have gifted their fans with a live album available in a variety of high-quality audio formats. The Christmas factor is the album comes via a pay-what-you want scheme a la Radiohead's In Rainbows those millions of blog years ago. It comes at a perfect time for fans seeking to hear the crux of Yeasayer music and also to look forward to what will be an exciting 2011.
Check it out on their website

Animal Collective | Oddsac

A couple nights ago, blog-bros, Randy and I, watched Animal Collective's visual album, Oddsac. The album was released before the existance of this blog, back in August. I know this can be around 1400 blog years ago, but it's never a bad thing to blog about some AnCo. This piece of art is fucking awesome. I don't why people didn't rave so hard about it. It's so good. Visually stunning, crazy concepts, hilarious acting by every member, with sounds and visuals perfectly matched up with the help of visual artist, Danny Perez. To watch this as a visual album will certainly satisfy. It's very dark with contrasting beautiful music. It captures the viewer, with atmospheric sounds and visuals. Getting lost from scene to scene. Lights. Colors. Sounds. You're going to want the just the music. It makes for some great listening. I know this wasn't initially what the band intended, but that's one of the beauties of enjoying music in 2010-- you can do it however/wherevever/whenever/yadaever you want to. So I did a little googling and found a great .rar file for the tunes here. 

Hear two tracks off the visual album and view the tracklist. Also, quick review of Animal Collective this past year after the jump…

jj | KILLS mixtape

More Christmas goodies are flying in by the day, and the latest is a Christmas Eve mixtape special from Swedish duo jj. Download the 10 track effort on Sincerely Yours and check their blogspot for lyrics. Tracklist after the jump

Merry Christmau5

In the season of giving, nothing is better than getting free mp3s to replace any of those old Christmas tunes that get overplayed to death.
Gorillaz are releasing a Christmas album for free on the 25th.
Kanye, Beach House, Coldplay, Mayer Hawthorne and Los Campesinos! all did tracks as well.

deadmau5 agreed 'tis the season and provided this new trancey monster called "Limit Break."
In typical prog-house fashion he infiltrates the synapses and raises the tension throughout but never quite releases it, making for a good filler in a DJ set and an interesting look at a style he has moved away from in recent material.

[Download: deadmau5 - Limit Break]

Bonus Christmas magic from Sufjy:
"Christmas In The Room"
[Download - Sufjan Stevens - Christmas In The Room]

James Blake | "Limit To Your Love" video

James Blake has announced the release date of his full length debut album. It's coming out February 7th via  A&M/Atlas, and features Blake's stunning cover of the Feist/Chilly Gonzales song "Limit To Your Love"

[via Gorilla vs Bear]

tracklist and the Feist original after the jump EDIT: 

James Blake - James Blake has just leaked 

mp3: Still Corners - "Eyes"

London-based, Still Corners has been hitting the blogsphere all year with their dreamy, hazy, 'reverb soaked' tunes, and this track really hit me: a cover of Rogue Wave's "Eyes." An already great song, but now with more atmosphere and depth. A great year-end tune and it fits with the holidays approaching. The theme, loneliness, surrounds it. As it does so well during the Christmas season. 

My Top 10 of 2k10

Photo: Karmabum

Top 10. Top 10 LPs & EPs of 2010. There was plenty of good music this year, much more out there than the 10 posted here, but these are my top 10 favorite LPs & EPs of 2010. We saw the ebb and flow of Chillwave [link]. Nostalgia hit it's peak then stayed up there and I don't see it dying in 2011 [link].

This was my first year I really followed music, seeking out that new 'relevant' tune of the week. I went to so many concerts and festivals this year (like <30). Saw some truly moving shows[The xx] and some annoying ones [MGMT]. This year I really fell in love with new music and I could name the new/hip trend in music for any month. Without further ado, here are the LPs & EPs that I felt a real/emotional connection with and can't ever see myself from stop listening to or enjoying!

Randy presents: 2k10 Albums of the Year

Finals have ensured that this post has been delayed beyond any previous relevance, but nevertheless, it must be done. 2k10 was easily the greatest musical year of my life, filled to the brim with shows, festivals, and countless albums/singles/buzzbands to try and keep up with.
Too much stock is placed in "ranking" albums/songs of the year and represents distilling music into the lowest common denominator: a lazy formula requiring no work to get the maximum enjoyment. Thus is the American way but when ranking opinions is ultimately useless.
As such, the following albums were the records I formed the deepest personal connections with and simply could not stop playing for the duration of the year. If you haven't heard any of these by now I implore spending some time with them, and if you have, remember how perfect they all were to soundtrack another year. The truth is, at some point each one of these records were the album of the year. Without further ado:

 peep the list after the jump

New Flying Lotus Video: "Zodiac Sh*t"

Flying Lotus (mortal name Steven Ellison) is one of the true geniuses in the modern electronic music scene, having risen from making background beats for Adult Swim to releasing a masterpiece, the space-jazz-electro odyssey known as Cosmogramma. It remains one of the most important pieces of music I've ever listened to in my life and I firmly believe it will come to be remembered as a true game-changer in our current era that sees so much repetition and complacency. [Previous raving over his music]

Ellison was also a film student before making it into the music industry, and as such his music videos further his inimitable artistic vision by blurring the line between the two mediums to create new entities greater than simply the sum of their parts.

His newest video comes for my personal favorite track on Cosmogramma, "Zodiac Shit." Those words are probably the best and only way to try and describe the music for lack of any better metaphor, and the track perfectly personifies his signature style. The Lilfuchs-produced video does its job and simply takes the song to that next metaphysical level. Check it out:


More FlyLo vids after the jump

Teen Daze////////All In My Brain

As the snow/my pre-finals homework/miscellaneous laundry items pile up, I find myself hesitant to dive into a steady listening cycle of Christmas chunes. (Sufjan/dubstep Santa, I'll be ready soon enough) Instead I've been opting for summery nostalgic jams, (Contra is apparently even better as a winter album as a summer album - seriously) and this music fits in perfectly. Like any buzzing buzzband worth their salt, Canadian bedroom project Teen Daze instantly transports the listener to a nameless beach, and leaves me feeling as if I woke up to the tide lapping at my heels. I realize I have nothing better to do, and roll over and continue imagining this music in my cranium. That kind of nostalgia.

Here's a highlight from their lovely debut Four More Years called "Shine On, You Crazy White Cap"


On November 30th the band released a new EP fittingly entitled Beach Dreams on their bandcamp site.
It's available via a pay-what-you-want pricing scheme or as a free download with an email address.
Stream it/download it below:

For more Teen Daze and a blurb about the new EP from the band, check after the jump

Into the Night : New EP from Azari & III

With each passing release, Toronto producers Azari & III have continued to skyrocket to the forefront of the house scene, beginning with their smash single "Reckless With Your Love" and their collaboration with Friendly Fires called "Stay Here." They've since been snatched up by Tiga's Turbo Records and released the Indigo EP. Their forthcoming debut LP drops in January, and I know I'm not the only one who would welcome them on the festival circuit in 2k11. [Get on it, Goldenvoice]


[ To refresh your memory: 
"Reckless With Your Love" >>>  
"Stay Here">>>  ]


Their take on the Chicago house vibes endures on their newest release, entitled "Into the Night".

Scion A/V Presents: Azari & III - Into the Night from Scion A/V on Vimeo.
Grab the FREE EP here [via Scion A/V]



And for good measure: "Indigo" >>>  
Buy it

Album of the Week: Room On Fire - The Strokes

I just had that feeling when you go track down the artwork for an album you got from a burned CD. "It's a great gesture," you think to yourself as you shake your head when you notice that the names of these new tracks are nowhere to be found. The reason I would go through such a hassle? I wanted to hear the Strokes at the highest possible original quality. It's the kind of ritual that seems silly if you had to re-download the tracks and paid more to get them as a finished version. But above all we must remember, it's the Strokes.


Room on Fire contains some of the biggest Strokes hits aside from their first album consensus-perfection Is This It, released on Sept. 11, 2001 (and taking it's own place in musical history that day.) Not that I would have noticed, being in the 5th grade. I wasn't exactly concerned with indie and garage rock fading into obscurity at the preference of modern techno and electronic acts such as the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers in its place. But it did "save" garage rock or at least remind the public it existed. Fast forward to the release of Room on Fire. We see a band faced with the impossible task of trying to have a second bolt of lightning strike upon them. However, this denim-clad crew decided they were still up to the challenge, and just decided to have a great time and make the most fun record they could while doing it. (Think if the new Kings of Leon album came after Only By The Night but was truly their second album. Actually, that still doesn't make it any better.)


The result is some of their loosest riffs and most beautiful melodies that evoke smoky images of Brooklyn rooms on risque nights. The dichotomy of their love-hate relationships coupled with the struggle for an identity as a young adult creeps into each lyric. The blaring melancholy in the voice of Julian Casablancas as "The Way It Is" plays and peers back to the age of the blues and soul singers exorcising their demons on stage. They even made it onto Rolling Stone, but not with a typical photo putting one member in the spotlight but being considered a legitimate band rather than a gimmick. To be a band like that means to endure to the point of becoming literary or art history in years to follow; to jump off the mouths of well-to-do trendsters and self-promoted intellectuals.

For these reasons, Room On Fire is the Album of the Week. The songs speak for themselves so much that they are memorable best as an entire experience: the true definition of a fine body of work. As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words, and with that in mind here is a video of "Reptilia"

TV Girl

The chillwaves are here to stay, and San Diego provides the newest darling of the genre, a project entitled TV Girl. The band consists of Trung Ngo on guitar, keyboards, and backup vocals and Brad Petering on lead vocals. Their eponymous debut EP is available on their bandcamp website as a free download. Standout track "I Don't Care" fits right into the chillwave canon, preaching lo-fi vibes to create a track worthy of being the soulmate of "Local Joke." Check out the 4-track EP below.

Weekend Vol. 1

The lack of production/disappearance of Album of the Week can be attributed to a fall we collectively sustained rappelling down Mt. Vesuvius last week. Don't fret as they will both make a gallant return soon enough.

^ Never even been to Mt. Vesuvius

In the meantime, here's a taste of what is fueling our weekend (besides the new Girl Talk on continuous blast). Time to jam these tunes and go 4Loko.

Recommended Downloads: GIRL TALK NEW LP

Girl Talk's new LP, All Day, just dropped out from heaven today--AND FOR FREE. His followup to the 2k8, #fuckingepic last LP, Feed the Animals. Download the new album here. You can download the file as separate MP3 files, a seamless MP3 or (coming soon) in FLAC. All this is courtesy of a great label, Illegal Art.

Also be sure to check out Girl Talk's massive tour here. Thinking about maybe doing the trifecta with Girl Talk…

Arcade Fire on SNL

[videos via The Audio Perv & Gorilla vs. Bear]
It's always a treat to see one of your favorite bands play Saturday Night Live, and it's even better to know that no lip-syncing is involved [via Ashley Simpson-Wentz]. Arcade Fire made their SNL return to play cuts off of their latest brilliant effort The Suburbs. They also played a short set after the show for those in attendance which is pretty epic. Check after the jump for videos of "We Used to Wait", "Sprawl II" and a digital short featuring the band.

Mixtape On The Moon

Hi Friends! Check this freaky naughty mixderp from these people I totally haven't ever heard of before [via my sister]

For those of you who can't read, it reads: 

BENZI & DIPLO

PRESENT

MANSIONS ON THE MOON

PARADISE FALLS

Randy and I only listened to this mixtape once over but knew we had to post it for all'y'all'all to enjoy. It is full of jams reminiscent of our good pal Flying Lotus. Keep an eye out for 'Glimpse of the Future' feat. Xaphoon Jones (he is soooo crazy..crazy..crazy..crazy?) and 'Satellite' feat. deadmau5.

FREE DL OF THE MIXTAPE HURR

You guys Betr Cech it out!

Eh,

Charlie?

OUT NOW: LCD Soundsystem - The London Sessions

The only thing better than listening to tasty LCD Soundsystem jams is dancing along to the live versions. Enter the newest release from James Murphy and company, digital live album The London Sessions.
Since their world tour has all but wrapped up, and the future of the band is uncertain as far as any future albums or tours, this live album comes at the perfect time to taste the magic. 
The sound has been meticulously engineered and mixed by James Murphy, who undoubtedly would never settle for anything less than quality that captures the band at their explosive best. To get a taste of what their legendary performances sound like (or to relive an unforgettable night if you've already seen them), this is a must-buy for any fan.


The setlist covers tracks from all three LCD albums, including the essential live cut of "All My Friends" [!!!], classics such as "Daft Punk is Playing at My House", and a couple tracks off of Album of the Year front-runner This Is Happening. Fans will also enjoy the inclusion of b-side and live staple "Yr City's a Sucker."


Full Tracklist and a clip of "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" after the jump.

New Artists to Love in 2k10

We all know the feeling. It's a knowing glance from someone across a room, something ever so subtle, yet in that moment the deepest calm and content washes over you. No words are necessary; it's all in the eyes. Maybe it took you by surprise or perhaps it's what you've been searching for all along. You simply didn't know where to look. This is the profound power of a new friendship, one formed in the innocence of curiosity and resulting in a discovery of more in common than you were comfortable in sharing. This intimacy is one of the true beauties of discovering new music. A genre you had never encountered or had written off suddenly saves the day, soundtracking a period of your life that had previously been wandering aimlessly for answers. The only certainty is that something clicks, and this kind of connection always remains.


Some of these artists will be familiar, some will be new, but all of them had new releases in 2010. Either way, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. [Videos after the jump]

ALBUM OF THE WEEK >> UP FROM BELOW

HERE IT IS YOU ASSHOLES

Sorry 'bout that, the publisher has been on my ass all day about this post but IT'S FINALLY HERE SO YOU CAN SHUT UP NOW. So I called dibs on AotW this time and I only had one alby on my mind...the beautiful Up From Below by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.

Where the hell are they all coming from?

Oh.

Tasty, yes? Check the rest after the jump

2420 - Vol. 1

site of the 2420 official after-party

Here are 24 tracks that have been burning through our collective eardrums since the last playlist. 

20 for 20 has been updated to 2420 to accomodate our expanded staff [yo Kanye!]

Hopefully this makes the Mondays sting a little less.

track list after the jump

Farewell Rocktober: My Morning Jacket thrills the Yum Center

Halloween shows always seems to bring out the best in music. For years, bands and their fans have dressed up in their costumes and the resulting shows have that extra intangible element that keeps them unique from any other day of the year. Take a look at Phish for example. In previous years their Halloween sets have incorporated covers of entire albums from other bands, including Quadrophenia, Remain in Light, the White Album, and last year's set covering Shine a Light at their Festival 8 in Indio, at the same Polo Fields used for Coachella. Last year also saw Pearl Jam coming out for their encore as Devo and playing "Whip It" as a part of their four night run to close the Spectrum in Philadelphia. 

My Morning Jacket returned home to Louisville on Friday, October 29th to play one of the first gigs in the newly opened KFC Yum! Center. [Yes, that's actually the name of the venue. Only in Kentucky.] Combining the aspect of Halloween antics with a band returning to the fans that love them the most made for a truly special night of music.

The band just wrapped up a series of shows at New York's Terminal 5, where their 4 night residency included showcases of entire albums from their catalogue, with one night each dedicated to The Tennessee Fire, It Still Moves, Z, and the latest smash Evil Urges. By catching their set at the Yum Center, fans had the chance to see the band play an eclectic mix of songs that served as a look back through their career. In regards to timing, the show served as a warm-up for their headlining gig at the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans, but the performance played out nothing like a warm-up.

MMJ rocking Ghostbusters [and Robert Goulet]

Jim James' voice was powerful and beautiful all night, hitting falsetto notes perfectly and soaring over their soulful take on Southern Rock. Their stage presence and energy was impeccable, as they cemented their status as future festival headliners. I will honestly be shocked not to see them headlining a night of the 10th Anniversary of Bonnaroo in 2011.

Here's a clip from Bonnaroo '08 with Kirk Hammett jamming on "One Big Holiday," one of the truly legendary Bonnaroo performances.

Another special aspect of the show was the presence of the Louisville Youth Symphony Orchestra providing backing music at different points in the show. Hearing "Gideon" with an orchestra playing was an ethereal experience, and the members of that group should be commended for their immense talent and professionalism.

The band took part in the Halloween festivities during the encore, returning to the stage dressed as Colonel Sanders. Yim even serenaded a guy in a chicken suit during "Bermuda Highway"

Overall, Louisville was ecstatic to see their favorite sons return home, and MMJ delivered one of the best sets of their career. [I saw Kanye in the crowd, and even that breaded genius was enjoying it]
Rocktober, y'all were great on Fallon.
Happy Halloween!

Setlist + Download after the jump

Album of the Week: Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

On the eve of what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend, with sightings of Deadmau5, Tyrone Biggums, Chuckie Finster, Rico Suave, and what is sure to be thousands of other "celebrities" flocking to the promise land of Lexington, it is only fitting for me to have the Album of the Week be that of Friendly Fires debut album, Friendly Fires. This dance/pop album is sure to be played sometime throughout the weekend, mingled in with other favorites of the HNW dance crew.

Chuckie Finster

Friendly Fires first album is an extremely well put together debut album, that has all you need for a groovy night with some LED lights and friends. With upbeat rhythms, the distinct voice of lead singer Ed Macfarlane, and house-esque leads from keyboard and guitar, it is obvious that this album will keep you on your feet for the duration of the 10 short but sweet songs.

'Friendly Fires'

Starting off with the upbeat and energetic 'Jump in the Pool', the band sets the bar high for the rest of the album, which they go above and beyond. 'In the Hospital' and 'White Diamonds' continue the dance theme, while 'Paris' and 'Strobe' show signs of the band knowing the fans are dancing and give them a little breather. But, don't rest too long, as 'On Board' and 'Lovesick' bring you right back into that dance atmosphere, preparing you for the grooviest of the songs on the album, 'Skeleton Boy' and 'Photobooth', with clear and sing-along-able lyrics and a funky bass line, respectively. Ending the album is 'Ex Lover', a fitting last song for the album, as it is a more chill song that can bring you back into the beginning of the album, as you will most assuredly want to listen to this short album again and continue the fun vibes and good dance.

After listening to the album several times, it is obvious to me why Randall and I had such a great time watching this band at Lollapalooza 09. With a 12 noon start time, they weren't one of the 'biggest' bands playing that day, but damnit were they the most fun. This album translates wonderfully live, and you can't help but dance at the band's energetic and enthusiastic shows.

So, without further ado, grab yourself a fog machine, a strobe light, some good friends, and some of Kentucky's finest, and give this album a listen for an HNW guaranteed good time.

Kentucky's Finest

-Don Vito

ROCKTOBER Episode III : Livemau5 @ Congress Theater, Chicago

Back again. Hope everyone had an amazing weekend. 


The premise of this latest in the Rocktober series is simple: deadmau5 was playing. I was close enough to go see him. After being one of the lucky witnesses of "the Cube" debut at his Coachella 2010 set, there really wasn't much to consider in throwing down a nominal fee for a Megabus ticket and heading out for another epic night at the Congress Theater.

^ mau5chella

What became apparent to me when I arrived at the show was this: deadmau5 is one of electronic music's true superstars. While it is nearly impossible for anyone to reach the fabled Daft Punk hype level and production value, deadmau5 comes pretty damn close. The wide appeal of Joel Zimmerman's brand of hau5 music was evident at the mixture of people who showed up: everyone from high school girls wearing the neon bare-minimum to 40-something former ravers still wanting a piece of the action. It was the first sold-out show at the Congress I've ever attended, and only some pics/vids can do justice to how crazy this place really was.

MOAR REVIEWS N STUFF AFTER TEH JUMP

No 'Limit UR Love', James Blake

A killer James Blake 'Electronic Explorations Mix' just hit the download deck. Mr. Blake has been fucking crushing it all 2k10. Crushing it hard with his two EPs 'CMKY,' 'Klavierwerke,' and his cover of Feist's 'Limit to Your Love.' Now there's an unreleased 'original' version of the track and another 16 minutes or so of previously unreleased material originally made by James 'back in april/may time 2k9.' I know that's exactly two-hundred thousand blog years ago, but James Blake overrides blog years and rides on killer/crushing it years. The mix also includes tracks from Pinch, Untold, Mount Kimbie, and Mala.

Full track list:

1. James Blake – Limit To Your Love (Cover) – [Unreleased]
2. Pinch – Airlock – [Tectonic]
3. James Blake – Air and Lack Thereof – [Hemlock Recordings]
4. Mala – Hunter – [DMZ]
5. James Blake – Sparing the Horses – [Hemlock Recordings]
6. Untold – Bones – [Hemlock Recordings]
7. Mount Kimbie – The Mighty Gee – [Hotflush]
8. Starkey – Time Traveler – [Planet Mu]
9. James Blake – I Never Learnt To Share – [Unreleased]

///////////////////

[via self-titled]

Fresh Wobbles: "Far Nearer" from Jamie xx

Hopefully I earn some irony points for posting a track that at this point is neither fresh nor wobbly. For those who have yet to hear this amazing new track from the xx's Jamie Smith (the guy who plays the nifty little touch pad drums), I had to pass this along. This is an exciting look at what to expect from his forthcoming full length debut, and if xx or any of his remixes are an indiciation, we are in for a treat. Enjoy.


"Far Nearer"

Covered in Nostalgia: Gold Panda's Debut, 'Lucky Shiner'

It's that feeling when you first walk outside and feel the fresh fall air breezes across your face. When you think of home. When you get in your car and play that old '90s song that you used to hear in the van on the way to swim practice… The subject of nostalgia has been a hit all year, it's all over Vampire Weekend's second LP, it's even where they got the name for it: Contra -- an old video game the band used to play. James Blake's CMKY is built off of 90s R&B sampling, and he doesn't even try to hide it. It's right there in our face, it's what his songs are built by. Kanye West's first single off his upcoming album, "Power", the Chi-town rapper, samples from King Crimson's "21st Century Schiziod Man." And again, he's not trying to hide it. The Texas-based blog, Gorilla vs Bear's web design is from old Polaroid pictures. Our obsession with nostalgia is us trying to capture the past. It's so relevant in music because music is struggling to find a new path. There are hundreds of genres as opposed to 60 years ago when you could could count the amount of genres with your hands and still have enough fingers to snap to the very new rock 'n' roll sound.

Now the debut from the British electronic producer, Gold Panda, is covered with it. The album's opening track "You" begins with the sound of putting a cassette in a vintage tape player over the quiet atmospheric synth beats no doubt sampled from a once beloved 80's electronic track. He repeats a sample of any beat over and over again throughout the album. This is especially prevalent in "Vanilla Minus," "Same Dream China" and "Snow & Taxes" where you can just picture the producer playing his AkaiMPC2000XL like Chris Martin playing the same rift for "Clocks." In an interview with Pitchfork, Gold Panda said this about sampling songs, "If I'm ripping off something that's already brilliant, what's the point?" Sampling is the nostalgic feeling in music. It's old, but there's something fresh about it. Here the feeling reminds you of a quiet night. Nothing new. Nothing special.

The night's darkness surrounds everyone. Gold Panda's music is surrounding. The music feels like it's made in a bedroom. It's the 'bedroom beat' genre, the autumn/winter version of 'chillwave.' With Nighttime sounds of planes flying above while you're trying to sleep. The beat, however, keeps you up and moving, asking for more. The beat is on repeat. Over and over. Spinning it's ambiance of night. "I'm With you but I'm Lonely" is exactly what it says. The music is there, echoing, but there's something missing. The album has this sense of loneliness around it. A sense of your daily routines, what you do every night before bed. You brush your teeth. Wash your face. Read a few pages of that book you can't really get it into. Lay in bed. Watch the fan circle over and over again. You feel lonely. The album hits it's high point with this statement.

The track, "Parents" seems to stand out. It's sound resembles a live recording of any acoustic guitar set. It's a universal sound. The track's opening words, (the only words you can ((barely)) make out in the album) is that of the producer's grandmother after whom Lucky Shiner is named. Nostalgic for the British producer. Nostalgic acoustic reverb for the listener.

The opening track, "You' has the same name as the closing track although the sound is different. It's much happier. It's processes an engulfing rhythm. As if 'you' have changed, for the better or worse, it's hard to say. The sun will rise bringing a new day either way.

Home (Oh!)

Hey gang, Charlie here. So it's pretty obvious that I'm totally NOT in college since I'm writing for a 'kewl'/relevant/semi-famous (here's lookin' at you, Denmark!) blog....but if I WERE in college, this past weekend probably would've been my fall break. So in true not-in-college fashion, Randy and I decided to celebrate fall break anyway with a trip down to Nashville, TN, then up to Lexington, KY. And boy, what a trip it was (check out Randy's Local Natives concert write-up here).

 Hey, I did my best on this one

Read my emotional ramblings after the break: 

Fucking Crushing It. A Rhodes Music Story.

I'm the newest writer on the HNW team. Fucking deal with it. I'm crushing it. I go by Rhodes. Only because that's my middle name and I'm already not playing by the 'rules'. [via rules RLLY contain my creativity, like bars do when you're in jail]
Back 2 Basics. I'm a college student majoring in the arts. I listen to music a solid 16 hours a day. I'll cut STRGHT to the good stuff: Top 5 favorite albums by artist who are still writing good music: 1) Animal Collective 'Feels' 2) Animal Collective 'Strawberry Jam' 3) Animal Collective 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' 4) Animal Collective 'Sung Tungs' and 5) Panda Bear 'Person Pitch'. I kidd. But I am a huge 'AnCo' fan. Hands down best band around today, and it's scary how close you can compare them to The Beatles. Also, side note, really looking forward to the new Avey Tare album.
In all reality we're all fans of the Radioheads and we live in a Radiohead-ruled world. ((If you don't believe me just wait for them to drop their next LP, they'll change the music world yet again.)) And Daft Punk of course… [via didn't want 2 break 2many rules on my first post/throwing Daft Punk in here will always win some votes w/the readers].
Right now I'm still riding the 'chillwaves' provided by the 'chill-trio' of Washed Out, Toro y Moi, and Neon Indian. But I'm also getting into the 'bedroom beats' of 2k10 with Gold Panda, Beat Connection, and maybe Small Black. It'll be interesting to see how this Brooklyn-based band fare on their debut LP 'New Chain' out 10/26.
Alright heres what you want:

My Top 5 Singles of 2k10 (So Far):
5) 'You and I' Washed Out (feat. Caroline Polachek)
4) 'Marathon' Tennis
3) 'Slow Motion' Panda Bear
2) 'Monster' Kanye West (feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj)
1) 'Runaway' Kanye West (feat. Pusha T)

My 'Top 10' albums (LP or EP) of 2k10 (So Far):
Honorable Mention:
- Matthew Dear 'Black City'
- MGMT 'Congratulations'
- Black Keys 'Brothers'
- The Radio Dept. 'Clinging to a Scheme'
10) Liars 'Sisterworld'
9) Titus Andronicus 'The Monitor'
8) Sleigh Bells 'Treats'
7) Vampire Weekend 'Contra'
6) Gold Panda 'Lucky Shiner'
5) Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti 'Before Today'
4) Sufjan Stevens 'The Age of Adz'
3) LCD Soundsystem 'This is Happening'
2) James Blake 'CMKY - EP'
1) Beat Connection 'Surf Noir - EP'

///////Thanks 4 Reading

ROCKTOBER PART II: LOCAL NATIVES @ Cannery Ballroom// Album of the Week

Jabroskis, welcome back for round 2. Charlie and I saddled up our finest steeds, and with nothing but the shirts on our backs and every single thing I could cram into my SUV, we headed South. I am a huge fan of road trips as they always present a unique opportunity to meld sights and sounds and enter some deep contemplation.

Start

The relaxing drive to Nashville was made all the more enjoyable when the soundtrack was provided by LA rising stars Local Natives. Their debut full-length Gorilla Manor (the title was inspired by an Orange County home shared by the band members) is one of the front-runners for album of the year, bringing a fresh take to a sound reminiscent of Fleet Foxes or Grizzly Bear. The songs on Gorilla Manor set Local Natives apart from those peers because of their masterful execution of that sound, adding tribal percussion and soaring harmonies that beg you to sing along. Check out this incredible acoustic version of "Wide Eyes" and a full report of the show after the jump!